Tropical cyclone “Emong” or Bagyong Emong is now categorized as a storm, weather bureau PAGASA said

Tropical cyclone “Emong” is now categorized as a storm, weather bureau PAGASA said on Tuesday morning.

PAGASA said Emong is now packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center with gusts of up 80 kph.

A tropical cyclone packing winds between 64 and 118 kph is already categorized as a storm.

The storm was spotted 460 km east of Isabela, Cagayan as of 10 a.m.

The storm also picked up speed, now moving north at 19 kph. In its 11 p.m. Monday bulletin, PAGASA said Emong was moving north-northwest at a much slower speed of 9 kph.

With its current speed and direction, Emong is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday morning.

In an interview with ANC, PAGASA forecaster Alvin Pura said Emong will bring more rains as it continues to enhance the southwest monsoon (habagat).

“As it goes up near the PAR line, it will enhance habagat. It will bring rains mostly in the western section of the country, including Metro Manila. More rains will be experienced this coming Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. The weather will improve this Sunday,” Pura told ANC.

Pura said a cluster of clouds is forming west of the Philippines. This cloud formation may develop into a low pressure area (LPA).

PAGASA said Emong is still too far to directly affect any part of the country. However, due to the enhanced southwest monsoon, moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms are expected over southern Luzon, Visayas and Northern Mindanao.

Fishermen using small small boats are advised not to venture out into the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon and western seaboards of southern Luzon due to big waves, PAGASA said.